We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful T.M. Murphy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with T.M. below.
T.M., we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I think my purpose found me or at least it was engrained in me at a very young age. I was fortunate to have had two parents that loved to tell entertaining stories at the dinner table to their six kids. I learned my love of storytelling while eating spaghettios or being tucked into bed. It wasn’t until I was in Junior High when my English teacher encouraged me to write those stories down. I remember getting a standing ovation from my classmates after I read one of my mysteries. You can’t imagine the thrill and sudden confidence I got after that moment. That confidence grew the more I wrote. My mother always would say, “Follow your bliss in life” and that’s exactly what I did by becoming a writer.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I have split personalities these days when it comes to writing books. My pen name for my kids books is T.M. Murphy. I have had so much fun over the years writing for the preteen/teen audience. I go to schools all over the country urging kids to follow their dreams. I recently collaborated with illustrator Mark Penta to create the Totally Weird Activity Books. These books are geared to inspire kids to use their own creative abilities and have fun! I have also been teaching kids privately for 28 years in a converted garage next to my house called The Writers’ Shack. It’s been such a gift for me to work with young people that love to write. A recent cool story from that experience is my former student Julia Cox was just nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for the Writers Guild Awards. The movie is NYAD, a truly moving story of Diana Nyad and her quest to swim from Cuba to Florida. Julia took The Just Write It Class with me for twelve years so it’s a proud teacher moment to see her doing so well.
A few months ago, I also released a thriller called Macabre Trophies under the pen name Declan Rush. This is NOT a kids book. It’s a serial killer mystery set in the fictitious town of Sandy Point, Cape Cod. I’m currently working on the sequel. Stay tuned!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Do what you love in life. If you are pursuing something to just make a buck you may make the money but you truly won’t feel fulfilled. You have to be passionate about what you do because you will have many ups and downs and it’s that passion that will keep you going. I wear a rubber bracelet that reads: Persistence. I look at that word every day as a reminder not to give up. People sometimes view writing as a glamorous lifestyle of book signings and big advances. That’s how Hollywood depicts it, but the truth is there is a lot of rejection. It’s the love for what you do and the persistence that keeps you going. You also have to surround yourself around supportive people. I am grateful every day to have a wonderful wife, family and friends to keep me going to the desk. I also live in Falmouth, Massachusetts and this town has been extremely supportive to me over the years by showing up at book signings or telling their friends about my books. I would also add that there is not a better feeling than giving back. That is why I love teaching creative writing. I have my mother to thank for the teaching. When I first got published she said to me, “Your dream just came true. Now it’s time to help someone else. Why don’t you turn that two car garage in a writers’ shack and teach kids?” I thought it was a wacky idea. Now, 28 years later I am still teaching there. Thanks, Mom!
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
If you’re not Stephen King the challenge you face every day is to get your book(s) noticed by the mainstream. My thriller for adults Macabre Trophies is known regionally, but the dream is for it to find a bigger audience. That also goes for my kids books especially the Totally Weird Activity Books. I want schools nationwide to adopt these books that help kids create. So, how can I solve this problem? Well, by just interviewing me, the great people of BoldJourney are already helping me take on this challenge. Maybe, someone reads this and books me for a school visit or a podcast and now more people will know of me and that will lead to a bigger audience. Selling books pays for the opportunity of time to write the next one.
When I was first published (28 years ago) I was a bit shy about promoting my book. I said to my dad, “No one is talking about my book.”
He replied, “If you don’t talk about it why would they talk about it?”
That was great advice. My friend owns a landscaping company and wears a T-shirt with the name of the company on it. It’s his business. Well, writing is my business so sure I wear T-shirts with DeclanRush.com or TotallyWeirdActivityBooks.com on them lol
Contact Info:
- Website: DeclanRush.com
TotallyWeirdActivityBooks.com - Instagram: TMMurphyWriter
MacabreTrophies
TotallyWeirdActivityBooks - Facebook: Ted (TM) Murphy DarkWatersBooks Totally Weird Activity Books The Just Write It Class
- Other: Tik Tok @macabre.trophies
Tik Tok @tmmurphywriter
Tik Tok @the.writers.shack
